Image credit: Sujan Upreti

As we all eagerly await the end of the school year and the long summer break that is ahead of us, not to mention the warm weather right around the corner, we all need to work to finish out the school year strong. That can seem like a real challenge to some people who may have mentally clocked out of school, especially with the stress and the workload of their class work and all the other things that come up in the day to day life of a teenager. It is really easy for us to just say, “Oh it’s the last marking period and there are only a few weeks of school left so I don’t have to do anything,” but these last weeks of school are a time to put all the knowledge that you’ve learned all year long to work. 

Some ways that you can stay motivated while in the last marking period are:

1 – Time management. This means using your time during the school day wisely so that when the bell rings at the end of the day, you don’t have to go home to hours of homework but instead, can do something that you enjoy. Things like going for a walk, sitting outside, hanging out with friends, etc. 

2 – Communicate with teachers or other people if you need help. It can be really frustrating at the end of the year if you’re struggling to learn something and there are tests coming up on the subject or if you are trying to remember things from the beginning of the year. Talk with your teachers if you need help preparing for a test or if you need other information to look over and practice in hopes of refreshing your memory. 

3 – Try making goals for yourself. This could look like getting all your assignments done and turned in a day early one week, or studying 30 minutes everyday in hopes of getting a 100% on a test. Don’t make the goals so challenging that you feel discouraged if you don’t meet them, but they still should be challenging so that you can surprise yourself when you accomplish them. 

4 – Staying organized. This can be really tricky for some people at the end of the school year because of the crazy amounts of handouts and worksheets that we all get throughout the year, but keeping those things organized can help you if you need to look back through them for studying purposes or to help refresh your memory of topics from the beginning of the school year. Putting things in folders and organizing them by section or topic can really help you when you are looking for something specific. 

5 – Do something outside of school that you enjoy. While this time of year can be really busy and stressful with preparing for all the final exams and AP and IB tests, make sure to take time for yourself . It’s important to find a balance between school work and fun outside of school. Make time to hang out with friends, get outside, go for bike rides, etc. It can really help relax your mind after working hard at school all day. 

So as the end of the school year is coming closer, try some of these things to help you through the finish line. Summer will be here before we all know it. It’s like the light at the end of the tunnel waiting there for us once school’s out. It’s only a few more weeks. We can do it, everyone!